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Photo credit: Sebastiao Salgado
This picture was taken under a bridge in Jakarta, Indonesia. "With Jakarta's population growing by one million people per year, newly arrived migrants either move in with relatives or, in some cases, find temporary shelter under bridges or on city streets" (Salgado 31). As a result of the rapid increase in population, housing seems to be among the most serious issues in Jakarta. Other issues include a poor system for distributing drinkable water, lack of public transportation, and an ineffective sewage system. Starting in the 1970s, the government has been implementing programs to try and reduce the number of migrants that move into the city in order to better focus on these issues.
Seeking refuge in a new country can already be a very difficult and traumatic process. To make matters worse, sometimes refugees get turned away and must seek a starting point elsewhere. It may or may not be intentional but the question remains nonetheless- where do you go when there's no more room for one more?
Works cited:
"Jakarta, Indonesia" United Nations Cyberschool Bus. United Nations, 2010. Web. 18 March 2010.
Salgado, Sebastiao. Pamphlet. "The Asian Mega-Cities." Migrations: Humanity in Transition. Aperture: New York, 2000. 31. Print
Salgado, Sebastiao. Photograph. Migrations: Humanity in Transition. Aperture: New York, 200. 423.
Thank you for this post and especially for the end question- what a wonderful and profound way to sum up this blog project and all that we've learned about refugees. I also chose to write about this photograph and it was interesting to read what it made you think of. I can't imagine being without a place to call home and it's even harder to picture living somewhere without even walls to protect you. Sleeping in a place as exposed as this would make me feel so vulnerable. It is amazing to me the strength that people can find in such difficult situations and I am glad that Salgado works so hard to display the dignity that these individuals still hold as our brothers and sisters.
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